Varicose veins and spider veins are a very common, albeit unwelcome part of aging. It is estimated that by age sixty, 40 percent of men and 70 percent of women will develop these unsightly, and often uncomfortable veins. As explained by Dr. Derek De Grijs, these veins, most commonly affecting the legs, become more prominent over time as increased pressure from prolonged standing or sitting can cause the delicate valves within the leg veins to function less effectively. This leads to leg swelling, heaviness, fatigue, and the unwanted appearance of varicose or spider veins. Additionally, Dr. De Grijs says women are affected more commonly than men due to a combination of genetic predisposition, prolonged exposure to estrogen, and changes to the body during pregnancy. Because of this, these unwanted veins are often considered an inconvenience of aging women.
However, they do frequently occur in men, and in severe cases, in both men and women beginning in the late teens and early twenties. Overall, addressing these vein problems tends to get put off because it is not seen as an immediate medical concern. Patients see their parents and grandparents struggling with progressively worsening painful and unsightly veins, but often aren’t aware that quick and effective treatments are readily available and, in most cases, covered by insurance.
While it is true that varicose and spider veins do not usually indicate a severe medical problem, Dr. De Grijs says, "The longer patients wait to seek treatment, the worse the varicose or spider veins tend to get. The sooner that we can initiate treatment, the better the long-term results will be.”
The experts at Middle Tennessee Vascular Associates seek to aid patients of all ages by resolving painful or unsightly varicose or spider veins in their specialized vein clinic located in Williamson Medical Center. The practice, which is led by three board certified vascular surgeons, also has three vascular health centers located in Franklin, Columbia and Shelbyville. At these locations, patients are treated for a variety of vascular conditions in addition to vein problems (among them, aneurysms, arterial blockages and dialysis access).
Middle Tennessee Vascular Associates has two physician assistants and three vascular surgeons, including Dr. Derek De Grijs, M.D., RPVI, a Nashville native with more than 10 years of vascular health experience. “There are two major wings to the practice. The first is a general vascular surgery practice where we treat a wide array of diseases that affect or involve the vascular system, which often require major surgery. The second is Middle Tennessee Vein Clinic where we treat the majority of vein-related problems which includes varicose veins and spider veins," says Dr. De Grijs.
Middle Tennessee Vascular sees a wide range of patients, but varicose veins are more common among specific groups. “There is a much higher frequency of varicose veins and spider veins in women due to genetics and prolonged exposure to estrogen,” De Grijs explains. “Our vascular surgery practice sees an older population. However, at our vein clinic we see significantly younger patients, with it not being uncommon to see women in their mid-twenties or early thirties, who have already been suffering from varicose veins for many years!”
The clinic offers solutions for each case, no matter how big or small. The simplest form of treatment is to begin wearing well-fitting compression stockings (20-30mm Hg) while standing or sitting. “One of the most common procedures is sclerotherapy, which is a tried-and-true treatment for resolution of spider veins,” states De Grijs. “In brief, it is an injection with an extremely small needle, directed into the webs of spider veins, which immediately improves the appearance of these veins in very little time (15-20 minutes).” If these varicose veins or spider veins are severe, or continuously recur, generally there are a couple larger veins feeding them that are having venous reflux- when the blood is flowing the wrong direction due to failure of the delicate valves within the veins. When this is the case, in addition to compression stockings, often a procedure called a radio frequency ablation is done to close the malfunctioning vein down. This redirects blood flow into the healthier veins.
“At Middle Tennessee Vascular Associates, we also have our very own vascular lab where we do a multitude of imaging studies, including ultrasounds of blood vessels throughout the body- which is a separate entity that we have offered to the community for many years," De Grijs says.
He adds, “Most of our employees have been with the practice for many years. A lot of our patients continue coming to our practice for ongoing surveillance of things that we had performed interventions on in the past, and they continue to entrust us to ensure that everything remains in good working order. This is not only a testament to the skill and acumen of the practitioners but also to a staff that makes our patients feel comfortable and confident."
MidTNVascular.com
